Drain pan, drain pan unit, and air conditioner

Abstract

A drain pan includes a light-transmissive member forming at least part of the drain pan and is for transmitting ultraviolet light emitted from a light source. The light-transmissive member has a light-emitting surface that is exposed to the inside of the drain pan and from which ultraviolet light that has been transmitted through the light-transmissive member is emitted.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A drain pan unit for an air conditioner and for receiving water, the drain pan unit comprising:
 a light-transmissive member forming at least part of the drain pan unit, and is for transmitting ultraviolet light emitted from a light source, 
 the light-transmissive member having a light-emitting surface that is exposed to an inside of the drain pan unit and from which ultraviolet light that has been transmitted through the light-transmissive member is emitted, wherein 
 the light source is disposed on a side of the light-transmissive member, 
 the light-transmissive member is provided on or as a bottom portion of the drain pan unit, 
 the light-transmissive member is a light guide member that guides incident ultraviolet light from the side of the light-transmissive member toward the light-emitting surface, and 
 a recess and a protrusion are formed on a lower surface of the light guide member opposite to the light-emitting surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the light-emitting surface of the light-transmissive member forms a bottom surface of the drain pan unit. 
 
     
     
       3. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a photocatalyst exposed to the inside of the drain pan unit. 
 
     
     
       4. The drain pan unit of  claim 3 , wherein
 the photocatalyst is provided on the light-emitting surface. 
 
     
     
       5. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the light-transmissive member is made of quartz or a light-transmissive resin material. 
 
     
     
       6. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reflector placed over a lower surface of the light guide member opposite to the light-emitting surface to reflect ultraviolet light. 
 
     
     
       7. The drain pan unit of  claim 6 , wherein
 the reflector serves also as the drain pan unit. 
 
     
     
       8. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pump configured to suck water in the drain pan unit, wherein 
 the light-emitting surface of the light-transmissive member faces the pump. 
 
     
     
       9. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the light source is disposed outside the light-transmissive member. 
 
     
     
       10. An air conditioner comprising:
 a heat exchanger; and 
 a drain pan unit configured to receive water condensed in the heat exchanger, 
 the drain pan unit being the drain pan unit of  claim 1 . 
 
     
     
       11. The drain pan unit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the light-transmissive member is situated in a position that is aligned with the light source along a longitudinal direction of the light-transmissive member.